Alderman Alison Gowman, chair of the London Road Safety Council, recently explored the City of London’s ‘pedways’ – as part of an episode of the Streets Ahead podcast.
Conceived and built in the 1960s, the raised walkways were designed to be the ‘future of the urban pedestrian experience’.
However, according to the podcast summary – ‘they didn’t quite work’.
More than half a century later, many of them are ‘slightly bleak and under-used spaces’, because they ‘failed to meet the needs of pedestrians who, it turns out, will stubbornly take the easiest route’.
In the episode, presented by Laura Laker and Ned Boulting, Alderman Gowman explains the history of ‘pedways’ – an amalgamation of the words pedestrian walkways.
Alderman Gowman notes how they were designed and created post-war, to enable pedestrians to separate themselves from the car-filled – and war damaged – streets of London.
Click here to listen to the full episode.
The Streets Ahead podcast discusses news and views in the fast-paced world of active travel, cycling, walking and urban planning.
13 July 2023